Being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t exactly a side project, with filming and pick-ups/ADR taking up to six months for each movie and extensive press commitments surrounding every release. While the main stars of the franchise have found time to fit in acting roles in between their Marvel work schedules, it’s hard to imagine orchestrating a career change while tied to such a massive franchise.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier star Chris Evans is doing just that, however. He recently directed his first feature film, 1:30 Train, a drama starring himself and Alice Eve which was shot in just 19 days on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Evans has been hinting for some time that he intends to become a director and move away from acting – at least, in other people’s movies.

Speaking to Variety, Evans has clarified his intentions regarding his place in the Marvel universe and how much longer he intends to stay there.

He originally signed a contract for six movies and now – after two Captain America movies and The Avengers – he is halfway to fulfilling his contractual obligations, not counting his upcoming role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In fact, Evans said that he had to argue Marvel down to that number, having told Variety:

“Initially, it was a nine-movie contract. And they said, if these movies take off and do very well, and my life changes and I don’t respond well, I don’t have the opportunity to say, listen, I need a f–king break. That just scared me.

“They called back and they tweaked the deal. It went from nine [films] to six. I said no again. My family was even going, ‘Are you sure you’re making the right decisions?’ It started to feel like maybe this is what I’m supposed to do.”

Unlike his on-screen counterpart, Evans was the very definition of a reluctant hero. He eventually caved after a series of pep talks, including one from The Avengers co-star Robert Downey Jr., but four years later he’s ready to start moving on and is already looking for a new feature film script to direct later this year.

“I’ve known for a while I wanted to direct. But (time) never really opens up. There’s another movie to do, there’s another acting job. It just got to a point where I was like, you know what — I have to do this… If I’m acting at all, it’s going to be under Marvel contract, or I’m going to be directing. I can’t see myself pursuing acting strictly outside of what I’m contractually obligated to do.”

Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier in Captain America’s latest adventure, is under contract for nine movies and will therefore still be around even after Evans’ retirement from the role. This has led to speculation that Bucky could eventually take up the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers.

Of course, it’s a bit early to start tearfully waving handkerchiefs at Evans just yet. With just three movies down (his cameo in Thor: The Dark World was agreed outside of the contract), he will go on to star in both the Avengers sequel and Captain America 3, and his final Marvel movie will most likely be The Avengers 3. Evans estimates there are about three years left before he’s free to move on.

“We can do this out loud. [Avengers 2] will shoot till August. I wouldn’t be surprised if for all of 2015, we didn’t do a movie. I bet by 2017, I’ll be done.”

While Evans has done a great job in the role of Steve Rogers, it’s understandable that he’s looking forward to being relieved of a role that he didn’t particularly want to take in the first place. The confirmation that he’s ready to exit the stage opens up some very interesting questions as to how Steve Rogers will be written out of the Marvel universe, and who will succeed him. Will it be Bucky Barnes, or will the “psychotic 1950s Cap” that’s been teased by the writers of Captain America 3 break free of his psychosis and become the main hero?

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier is out in theaters on April 4, 2014.

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Zo 6 months ago

if you look at the exact moment where it shows the avengers tower on the targets acquired list on the insight helicarriers, Tony Starks face is shown on the right. Which proves that it’s him in either the Stark Tower or the Avengers tower!

I grew up on Captain America…was even my nickname in the military…my guys put a shield in my office. Chris Evans did a great job in the role. But WTF Chris…you’re 20 something and a face. You’re playing the most iconic character in the Country. Many guys in the military still look to that character as an example for what to do when they are forced to choose between political a as and integrity. If you want to quit because of a moral issue ok…but don’t whine about needing a break…try back to back deployments. If you want to direct…learn from great ones now and direct a movie or two on the side…you can always get behind the camera in a decade when you’re no longer pretty enough to stand in front of it. You aren’t Eastwood or Redford…and even they weren’t directing until later in life. Wake up dude. You’ve been gold mine lucky…have some gratitude and do the work.

Chris is actually about 33 already so by the time his contract ends, he’ll be about 40. So I think if he really wants to get into directing, he has to start now. Ive read articles regarding this issue before and they always seem to give a bad light on him. Im sure this was just overwritten. He has said time and again that he loves playing the Cap.

Dude, first off, props to anyone in the service. In any nation; I’m not one for governments mandating the slaughter of people’s family for bs, and I’m sure you’re not either, being a Marvel/Cap fan. However, I respect anyone who sacrifices themselves to “stick their hands in the mud to try and make something better.”

Now, that doesn’t give you the right to belittle Evan’s personal decision or considerations from wanting to take his film career in a different path. Acting is hard, and it takes a lot of work, especially when you add the fact that the man has physically shaped himself to look like he could be a super soldier. It takes intelligence and creativity (Evans is responsible for Cap’s shield throwing motions to complement the CGI), and not everyone can do it properly. Don’t you realize how much of the characters these people have to actually become? Theres a heavy psychological element to consider, it borders insanity and pathological lying.

The point is, I’m gonna have major feels when he decides not to don the Stars and Stripes. But the man deserves a break or an end if he wants. And he should want more control in his career field, isn’t that always the American Dream? To aim higher and be a leader? And being satisfied with life isn’t about money. Great actors deserve every cent they earn; great anyone at anything, really, That’s why it took Nolan’s trilogy to make people take Batman seriously again
Anyway, just my two sense.

I agree that Evans did a fabulous job, and the day he retires I’m absolutely going to sob, and as long as I’m interested in Marvel I won’t forget him. He’s always been my favorite of the Avengers, and I love him so much. But I read the full article with Variety, in which he said that he loves to go out and do normal things, and now he’s constantly worried he’ll be recognized or grateful that he wasn’t. He said he can’t get it off of his mind. Having always been invisible and very glad about it, I always feel sympathy for those that want to sink into the shadows a little more but can’t. I think it’s time we cut Evans a little slack. I’ll be one of the ones that misses him most, but if he wants to switch behind the camera, I think those of us that have always been his biggest fans should be the ones supporting that, not getting mad at him for it.